eye contact

American

noun

the act of looking directly into another's eyes.

We never made eye contact at any time during the interview.
Psychology. a meeting of the eyes of two persons, regarded as a meaningful nonverbal form of communication.

eye contact British

noun

a direct look between two people; meeting of eyes

he maintained eye contact with his interrogator

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of eye contact

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Eye contact is important, especially in a meeting with clients or patients.

From Salon • Jan. 6, 2025

Eye contact and body language are critical in social interaction, but exactly how the brain uses this information in order to inform behavior in real time is not well understood.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2024

Flemmie also had rules about how the nursery staff should treat the children – Eye contact.

From Scientific American • Oct. 26, 2023

What do you try to teach the young performers on “The Voice”? Eye contact.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2023

Eye contact should be maintained when approaching a Hippogriff.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023